Howdy folks, so the time has come for me to hassle you all again about a potential new product that I’m hoping to bring to market alongside a big company
This would be a pure 4 channel MIDI mixer; nothing fancy, styled after the Z1 (same height, same length, but twice as wide and constructed with a metal chassis). Up faders will be damped for smooth mixes, and the crossfader MAY be an Innofader Mini depending on how much it’d change the pricing by.
3 band EQ per channel, dedicated filter knob, and a gain knob. There’ll also be kill switches for each EQ band, possibly as a separate button or - more likely - as a push-down on the knob with an indicator light.
It’ll have a basic 4-out/4-in audio interface built in which will let you hook up a microphone or two AUX inputs for live playback through decks C and D in Traktor, and unbalanced and balanced outputs.
I just ordered the Z1 yesterday but would still like to get a similar 4 channel mixer and with a 4in/4out sound card it could be used for timecode mixer with Mixvibes Cross witch I would be using it with for sure.
Yeah that’d definitely be a possibility The only problem is that due to the prohibitive cost of Traktor Certification we wouldn’t be able to offer it as a DVS for Traktor (or Serato), but Mixvibes, Mixxx, VirtualDJ and Deckadance would all be options for DVS users
Primarily, however, I envisage it being used alongside an pair of X1s or PL-1s as a Traktor mixer. The idea is to provide enough flexibility for people to use it however they want by not artificially limiting specific features like some of the other pieces of kit on the market, so DVS would still be an option for those not using “the big two”.
Haha Well you could always disable the feature in the mapping (or even with a physical switch on the unit) if we didn’t use push-knobs, what would you prefer? Physical kill switches or buttons? And located where? Beside or underneath the knobs?
Given it’s a 4 channel, I love the way the layout is on the K2. Also, VU’s would be great! Considering how easy they are to map too. At least 20 little LEDs would be great but 10 would do! Right now I deal with 4! Haha!
If it’s a 4-in 4-out card doesn’t that mean it’s just a typical external mixer? So basically you think Reloop should have included an audio interface in the RMX 80?
No it wouldn’t be an external mixer at all; all of the controls are completely MIDI, with the exception of the CUE EQ knobs, which may not even be on the final unit as I’d like to avoid analog controls entirely. Basically, it’d be an ESI Maya44 and a pair of Z1s in a single unit. What you do with the sound card is up to you; you could either route a microphone through one of the inputs and maybe a CDJ into Traktor through Live Input, or you could use a TT timecode setup with Mixxx.
From a technical standpoint, the closest equivalent would be the Hercules RMX; that also made use of a 4-in-4-out interface to allow DVS functionality, but obviously its mixer section was pretty substandard. Similarly though, this combines a MIDI mixer with an audio interface to offer a reasonably priced centrepiece to a DVS or MIDI setup.
Oh, there’ll also most likely be a 4-port USB hub on the back as well, so you can plug a pair of X1s and a pair of F1s, or a pair of PL-1s and a pair of DC-1s etc into the mixer, and then hook the entire setup up to your PC with a single USB cable.
Do you mean on the master output or per-channel? Per-channel unfortunately wouldn’t be possible, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t be possible to add it to the output stage
I suppose the microphone COULD be routed separately and summed with ducking in firmware, but I’ll have to see what the engineers say.
I don’t quite agree with your statement that DVS requires a standalone mixer though, as if you’re using any software package you can use live input into the track decks and use the internal mixing with a MIDI control surface. Nothing to stop you putting on a real piece of vinyl, changing the deck to “Audio” instead of timecode and away you go.
I think if you start adding per-channel send/returns then you’re getting into traditional mixer territory anyway, and would require - at least - an 8-out interface AND an analog mixer section. As I said, that’s really NOT what this is about. It’s basically a wider, more professional version of the MM-1, or a 4-channel version of the Z1/Z2, or a half-height, FX section-less/all-MIDI version of an 800.
I’m not - for a second - expecting this to appeal to “traditional” DJs; but for controllerists, or people who integrate timecode with X1s, F1s, and Ableton/Maschine this could be the perfect solution. I could also imagine it doing quite well with mobile DJs who love the concept of the Z1 but want something more rugged.
I like the design, just please man, don’t use EQ button kills in any form. I mean, who uses them anyway? Not a single top of the line mixer has them for a reason lol. They are useless and mess up the EQ organization imo
The only problem is that due to the prohibitive cost of Traktor Certification we wouldn’t be able to offer it as a DVS for Traktor (or Serato), but Mixvibes, Mixxx, VirtualDJ and Deckadance would all be options for DVS users 
Considering how easy they are to map too. At least 20 little LEDs would be great but 10 would do! Right now I deal with 4! Haha! 
Just keep this thread going and get those numbers on the poll up and this thing could make its debut at Musikmesse 2014 if we’re lucky